EU Must Have Energy-Independence

Globalization is certainly at the heart of what it means to become a trading partner with another country. I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine. But, what happens when the itching continues or the scratcher starts scratching himself in an unlikely place rather than where he’s supposed to? What happens is that the scratchee ends up being left high and dry and perhaps the only good thing that will come out of the Russian gun-toting Vladimir Putin’s veiled annexation of Crimea is that the EU might actually realize that they are energy-dependent. They have made their own bed and they’ll have to lie in it now, but they should be thinking about how to get around it by becoming more fuel efficient and less dependent on the Russians for gas. That’s if there is still time left.

Can Russia be trusted to deliver the gas to the EU when France is dependent by 15% on its fuel needs? Yes, even France (which prides itself on almost self-sufficient energy due to nuclear power) needs the Russians. But Germany is now getting double that amount from its Russian neighbor. Poland depends on Russian gas to the tune of 60% of its energy imports! Overall Russia provides the EU with 25% of energy needs in natural gas. The EU import almost 50% of its energy from a country outside the European Union today.

Questions were already being raised just after the Russian-Ukrainian crisis of 2006 and they are still being asked. But, complacency and the status quo took the place of those questions regarding Russian dependency and whether or not the Russian Federation could be trusted to provide that energy under all circumstances.

Back in 2006 80% of the gas that the EU needed traveled through the pipes that went across Ukrainian soil. The Ukrainians were siphoning off the gas that was destined for the EU prior to the outbreak of the 2006dispute and using it for domestic purposes. The EU should have planned there and then alternative measures to deal with future problems. Today there have been new gasoducts that have been built and only 40% of the EU’s gas travels through Ukrainian soil today.

The future says that with the reduction in the oil reserves of the North Sea, the EU may well become dependent to the tune of 80% on natural gas from Russia unless it does something to halt that. The EU will be a lightweight ready to be knocked out by Russia if it doesn’t manage to avoid that by finding alternatives to relying on the natural gas of the Russian Federation.

But, the EU doesn’t even have a common energy policy that negotiates the price of that natural gas. It’s up to each state to do so independently. Are they really living in the 21st century with the knowledge that the bigger you are the more clout you have? Anyhow, the Russians have realized that they will need to get in to the EU via another means if the EU finally manages to get its act together. It was announced at the start of February that Gazprom was bidding for gas power stations in the north of France. The same thing has already happened in Belgium in 2013 and also in the UK. At least, the Russian Federation is already considering that it needs to back itself up in the event that the EU decides to try to get out of its clutches where energy is concerned. The EU machine took (as usual) far too long to get its act together and to start the wheels in motion and now it might just be too late.

At least if the EU can’t get energy-independence immediately it needs to think about planning its future carefully. There’s hope if they are actually thinking about it already that in decades to come they might be able to go it alone. That’s not going to happen quickly, but unless they invest the money in research and energy development, they will be living in the dark with the candles praying for Vladimir to turn the switch back on and open the pipes again.

Obviously a useless comment from you since saying "a very stupid post" really does of course add to the discussion and does indeed enlighten everbody with your intelligent answer as to why and when it a stupid post. Well done, *applause* *clap clap*

IN case you didn't realize being smart ass alec of a shit bag - but you deserve it...no point in writing a omment unless you damn well explain why what where and how. Think I have done that with you.

Oh yes, and beside energy independence, do we need food independence and all other indendences, it's only good do have EU local markets and the root of all evil are world-wide markets. I propose that we must find alternatives for cotton and the like. Sheeps can even grow in the EU and so let's get independent. And yes get's rid of a all the raw materials we need for our crap. Who needs a mobile phone or a car or even a railway? Horses will do just fine. Gosh where am I here in the land of the Stupids?

Energy independence is a great idea. Except that it means cutting back on energy consumption to that available domestically instead of dreaming about finding alternates that don't exist. But since all economic activity requires energy, cutting back on energy consumption directly translates to reduction in economic activity. The EU, as well as the US and the rest of the high-energy consuming economies, are well on the way to this since the GFC in 2007. But yes, more can be done and will be done in the form of the next financial crisis, something that is already overdue.

Making a virtue of a necessity is not a bad idea. It gives the pychological strength necessary to survive a permanent economic depression.

EU energy independance is as big an oxymoron as EU independance. In both cases the underlying theme is centralising power. To be taken seriously pivotfarn should at least be consistent and that means opposing the EU centralisation of power as well as that occurring with energy suppliers.

If "Pivotfarm" were standing in front of me I'd feel compelled to punch him/her in the face. NO ONE this stupid ought to be able to spew shit in such large circles.

"Energy independence" might be achievable for ONE SECOND. And then? You see, you FAIL to state the duration. Given that we require growth in order to function it is a mathematical certainty that we will ALWAYS exhaust our resources, "renewable" or not.

BUT... Europe is the LAST place that has any chance of being "energy independent" (in the civilzations that we currently have that is). And those closest to being so would only also be able to be so in a limited timeframe.

Don't worry - Fracking will solve the problem - for a year or two , then afterwards the water & food will be poisoned which will kill off enough people so hardly any gas imports will be required. France's food & wines will be measured in benzine percentage not alcholhol content. There - sorted it for ya.

I read that there is plenty of North African LNG to go around. Algeria has some and there is a new pipe from Nigeria to Algeria as well. Qatar is farther away but I am sure they would offer some discounts to just get even with Putin (re: Syria).

Yes - the shale gas seems to be elusive in Poland as well as in the rest of Europe. It is there but it will take them longer to explore it.

The global economic system is predicated on perpetual growth. Step outside and look around, This is a finite planet.

Saying that there is "plenty" is BS- it's a one-dimensional statement. Only the ignorant or the manipulators (folks pitching for investing or politicians) toss out such meaningless "feed good" shit as this.

"... EU partners will press Cyprus to “open the door” of its energy resources exclusively to the western big companies. A recent statement of the Greek prime minister Antonis Samaras - who is also a prisoner of debt to European creditors and US-influenced IMF – speaking about a unified European Exclusive Economic Zone, is pointing the way towards the unification of Greek and Cypriot EEZs and widening the field of potential reserves in the south-east Mediterranean for exploitation from the same companies."